


Nemesis

by Burgie



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Miqo'te WoL, female WoL, fic of the part where Moenbryda dies, remember when that was the biggest tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22010377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Together, Veronyka and her friends must defeat Nabriales to save Minfilia. But it comes with a price. All characters save game NPCs and Veronyka belong to my friends.
Relationships: Minfilia Warde/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 6





	Nemesis

"Minfilia." The word, the name, was uttered by two pairs of lips at the same time, silver eyes catching brown. Veronyka wasn't sure if Moenbryda felt the primal fear that iced through her veins, but it was not enough to root her to the spot- no, never again, not after that scream, not after running into the Solar to find Minfilia curled on the ground in pain and an Ascian waiting outside of the Waking Sands.

"We have to go, come on," said Veronyka, grabbing the Roegadyn woman's silver-hued hand, magic already swirling within her. After the Scions had relocated their headquarters to Revenant's Toll, Veronyka had attuned to that particular aetheryte with more concentration than usual, making it her home point, a place to always return to. The place where Minfilia resided. So it took but a few brief moments for the two to teleport there, and then Veronyka was running, into the Seventh Heaven, through the door to the Rising Stones, through the room therein, past a surprised Thancred, and down the few stairs before she burst through the doors, mage staff already drawn.

To find an Ascian confronting her girlfriend behind the desk. Veronyka's eyes blazed with fury, lips drawn back in a snarl, her staff already glowing with arcane energy.

It was not unlike the Echo vision that had pulled Veronyka in that day in the Waking Sands, the sight of Minfilia clutching the shattered remnants of Tupsimati to her, the staff that Louisoix had used to save them all and doom himself in the process. Only, where Elidibus' robes had been white with golden tracing, this Ascian wore dark robes as Lahabrea had.

"Come no closer," Minfilia warned. And then, seeing the Ascian's head move to take in the newcomers, one miqo'te and one Roegadyn, Minfilia also turned her head and gasped. "Veronyka! Moenbryda!"

"Don't even touch her," Veronyka hissed, her tail lashing behind her as her ears lowered. Behind her, Moenbryda hefted her marauder's axe, taking a step closer. The Ascian only smirked before looking back at Minfilia.

"It appears we have been interrupted," said the Ascian. "Perhaps we should find somewhere more... private to continue this conversation."

"I would be a fool to go anywhere with one of your ilk, Nabriales," said Minfilia, finally giving a name to the face that Veronyka now hated with a burning intensity. Well, okay, maybe she still hated Elidibus more. Barely.

"More fool you for believing that you have any say in the matter," said Nabriales, a smirk growing on his lips. Before Veronyka could cast a single spell, Nabriales snapped his fingers, tearing open a rift between the worlds. In the barest of movements, he'd flung Minfilia through the portal, and Veronyka cried out and reached for her, tears in her eyes.

"Right, now it's personal," said Moenbryda, her hands tightening on her axe. She hefted it up as she ran a few steps towards Nabriales, who glanced up at her as she leaped into the air, axe swung back to make the killing blow, face twisted in a snarl of defiance. Almost casually, he waved his hand, sending a blast of dark energy into Moenbryda's chest, the same energy that had so crippled Minfilia. Moenbryda fell, gasping at the pain, clutching at her chest where dark energy still seeped from the wound. Veronyka was glad, now, that Minfilia hadn't been physically injured like this. At least Minfilia had been able to get up. Nevertheless, she fell to her knees at Moenbryda's side, wishing there was something she could do.

"You mortals truly are so weak," said Nabriales, tutting as he turned to face the rift. As he passed through, it began to close behind him, knitting back together seamlessly. Veronyka only barely took a moment to look at this, though, before she turned her attention back to Moenbryda.

"Don't move, I'll get Urianger or- or Y'shtola or Astrid, they'll be able to help," said Veronyka, fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry about me," Moenbryda rasped, pain clouding her gaze. "You just go after that girl of yours and kick that Asscian's butt for me."

"I will," Veronyka whispered. "Don't you dare die while I'm gone now."

"I'll try not to," Moenbryda wheezed.

Mercifully, Veronyka knew that Solar was all closeby, either in the Toll itself or searching the castrum or even just at Saint Coinach's Find. On the swift back of a pink-feathered chocobo, Veronyka rode out to collect together Solar, most of whom were at the Find. As she would be if she didn't spend every waking moment with Minfilia.

"We've got a problem," said Veronyka once they'd all gathered in the Rising Stones.

"What kind of problem?" Astrid asked.

"Who do we need to hit?" Eden asked.

"Did they hurt you?" Jack asked, brow furrowed as he looked her over. Veronyka shook her head, though she was touched by his concern.

"Only emotionally," said Veronyka. "I came back to the Rising Stones to find an Ascian, he hurt Moenbryda and took Minfilia through a void gate to I don't know where and we have to stop him!" She was panting by the time she'd finished, the fur on her tail raised, fists clenched, teeth bared.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Zelda, pushing the door to the Solar open. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Astrid cried, running over to kneel by Moenbryda's side and pour healing magic into her wound.

"Don't worry about me, worry about her," said Moenbryda, gesturing with her head towards the void gate. Blood bubbled from her lips, over the fingers that clutched the wound.

"We need more people," said Astrid. "Doesn't it usually take eight people for something like this?"

"She's right," said Zelda, tapping her lower lip with her fingers. "Jack and Veronyka, me of course, Astrid, Alessa, Jacky, Eden, and we'll have to pull in one more adventurer."

"I'm not waiting," said Veronyka. "I'm sorry, but I can't." She'd already almost lost her once. Never again.

"Then I'm sorry to have to do this to you," said Jack, and with that, he grabbed Veronyka from behind, clutching her to his larger hrothgar body, unmindful of her protests.

Mercifully, a White Mage hyur named Astor was found outside the Seventh Heaven, and Jack finally let Veronyka go so that she could run through the rift.

The group of eight found themselves in a strange place that Veronyka had never seen before. It was a platform of sorts suspended in a purple void, the air seeming... static. But immediately, she looked around, noticing large buildings wrought and spiked of purple crystals, and- there.

"Minfilia!" Veronyka cried, stepping forward, reaching out in a futile gesture. She growled at Nabriales, who stood far below Minfilia, who hung suspended in the air.

"I should have known that you couldn't just leave well enough alone," said Nabriales with a sigh. "Very well, if you must fight me, then..." His smirk grew, and Veronyka just narrowly dodged an attack before Zelda stepped forward, shield in hand.

"The hard way it is, then," said Jack, drawing his mage staff as the others also drew their weapons.

Veronyka had expected this fight to be like the fight against Lahabrea, if she were being honest. She would also admit that she spent half the fight distracted, if she were being honest. But how could she not be, when Minfilia hung suspended above the battle?

And yet, Lahabrea was child's play compared to Nabriales. Especially when the world around them suddenly changed, the group being transported to another place entirely.

"Minfilia!" Veronyka screamed again, unable to see her anymore.

"He seems to have some control over time!" Minfilia called, her voice disembodied and distant but still there. Had Nabriales done this in order to trap them in another dimension, that he might kill Minfilia and take the staff by force?

Almost as one, Zelda and Eden dove under a meteor each as the huge rocks fell from the sky, shuddering as they took the impact, their armour barely denting. And then-

"There!" Veronyka shouted, spying an aetherial tear rending the fabric between worlds, sensing that Minfilia was near. She aimed spells at it, muttering incantations as fast as she could, the aetherial tear shuddering itself before ripping open and pulling them back to the platform.

"What? How could you possibly figure that out?" Nabriales demanded, a scowl across his face. But Minfilia was beaming.

It did not, in the end, take many more spells to defeat Nabriales. Towards the end, he began to beg them for his life. But Veronyka could think only of Moenbryda bleeding on the floor of the Solar, possibly dying, of the pain that had torn through Minfilia when Elidibus had attacked her. No. Ascians would get no mercy from her.

As Nabriales fell, so too did Minfilia. Veronyka rushed forward to catch her, unmindful of the commotion behind her, for all that mattered was the woman in her arms, even as the momentum sent Veronyka crashing to the ground. She lay there, stunned, her body shouting with pain, but Minfilia hovered above her, moving to take her weight off Veronyka.

"You saved me," Minfilia murmured, her blue eyes seeming to glow from within. Veronyka's cat's-eye necklace, which Minfilia had gifted to her only recently, had spilled out of her coat, resting against her collarbone.

"I'm a warrior of light, it's kind of my job," said Veronyka, her voice wheezing slightly. "Vanquisher of demons, saviour of maidens."

"My thanks," Minfilia said, her blue eyes glowing as she leaned in to press a kiss to Veronyka's lips, a kiss that Veronyka eagerly returned. Until someone cleared their throat.

"Nabriales escaped back through the void gate, we should go," said Jack.

"Destined to forever be interrupted," said Minfilia with a sigh as she climbed off of Veronyka and helped her to her feet. Veronyka smoothed her coat down, blushing. Her body still hurt, but that was at the back of her mind now. Though, she did murmur a thanks to Astor as he healed her.

Astor was absent, however, once the group reconvened in the Solar. Immediately, Minfilia rushed to stand between Nabriales and Moenbryda, who stood facing each other. Well, Nabriales stood, Moenbryda was still trying in vain to sit up.

"This ends now, Nabriales," said Minfilia.

"Oh, does it, just?" Nabriales chuckled. "I will keep returning for the staff, you can never stop me."

"You sure about that?" Moenbryda asked. She reached into her coat, shuddering, and withdrew the white auracite, now smeared with blood. This she threw at Nabriales while Minfilia tossed Tupsimati to Veronyka, who stood over Moenbryda, channeling her power into it as they'd earlier discussed. But something was stopping it. Nabriales smirked from behind his invisible shield, visible only due to the stream of light splitting apart over it.

"A cunning plan, I will admit," said Nabriales. "However, you have vastly underestimated the amount of power needed for such a task. I'm sure that sniveling shrew Lahabrea would be happy to tell you all about it."

"It's not enough," Moenbryda whispered. She winced as she got to her feet, and Astrid started forward. But Zelda held her back, perhaps knowing, as Moenbryda looked around. "Thank you. All of you. Minfilia, it was wonderful to meet you. And tell Yda and Urianger... tell them goodbye for me. And I'm sorry I never got to say it to their faces."

And, before any of them could move, Moenbryda threw herself between the staff's stream of power and the Ascian. She gasped, eyes widening as power coursed through her. And then, just as suddenly, her eyes closed as a blissful smile spread across her face. Her aether joined the stream, glowing bright white, and then she was no more.

That was enough. Nabriales screamed as the aether swirled around him, tugging him into the white auracite, and with a flash and a cut off scream, there was nothing left but a crystal of white auracite that fell to the carpeted floor beneath.

Minfilia bent to pick it up, tears in her eyes, as she held it reverently.

"Thank you, Moenbryda," Minfilia whispered, holding it to her chest. Veronyka stepped towards her, uncertain, but Minfilia only nodded and allowed herself to be wrapped in Veronyka's embrace.

Slowly, the room emptied out as the two embraced, both crying silent tears. Moenbryda's sacrifice would not be in vain. Nor would her memory ever be forgotten.


End file.
